A [2 x 2] nickel(ii) grid and a copper(ii) square result from differing binding modes of a pyrazine-based diamide ligand

The potentially bis-terdentate diamide ligand N,N'-bis2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxamide (H(2)L(Et)) was structurally characterised. Potentiometric titrations revealed rather low pK(a) values for the deprotonation of the first amide group of H(2)L(Et) (14.2) and N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxamide (H(2)L(Me), 13.1). Two tetranuclear copper(ii) square complexes of H(2)L(Et) with a paddle-wheel appearance, in which each ligand strand acts as a linear N(3)-NO hybrid terdentate-bidentate chelate, have been isolated and structurally characterised. Complex Cu(II)(4)(H(2)L(Et))(2)(HL(Et))(2)](BF(4))(6).3MeCN.0.5H(2)O (.3MeCN.0.5H(2)O), with two nondeprotonated zwitterionic ligand strands and two monodeprotonated ligand strands, is formed in the 1 : 1 reaction of H(2)L(Et) and Cu(BF(4))(2).4H(2)O. It has a polymeric chain structure of tetranuclear subunits connected by N-Hdot dot dot]N hydrogen bonds. The same reaction carried out with one equivalent of base gives the related compound Cu(II)(4)(HL(Et))(4)](BF(4))(4) (), with all four ligand strands monodeprotonated. It consists of isolated tetranuclear units. In both .3MeCN.0.5 H(2)O and the copper(ii) ions are in five-coordinate N(4)O environments but the degree of trigonality (tau) differs .3MeCN.0.5H(2)O 0.14